Urban is a miracle worker ... or not

Monday

Urban Meyer must have a great personal physician. Heck, it must be a team of them.

Urban Meyer must have a great personal physician. Heck, it must be a team of them.

It was less than one year ago that Meyer, citing health issues, stepped down as the chief steward of the Florida football program. It actually marked the second time he had quit as the Gators' head coach, but he reversed course one day after quitting in 2009 and stayed in Gainesville one more season.

So color me puzzled the past week or so as rumors floated that Meyer was about to take over as head coach at Ohio State, which became official Monday afternoon. He's returning to his native state and the program he served for two years as a graduate assistant on the Buckeyes' coaching staff from 1986-87.

At the tail end of his fifth season at Florida, Meyer was hospitalized after his Gators lost 32-13 to Alabama in the SEC Championship on Dec. 5, 2009, a loss that denied UF a chance to defend its national title from 2008. The chest pains that led to the emergency visit were diagnosed as esophageal spasms and treated with medication.

Meyer, who won two national championships for the Gators, was granted a brief leave of absence by Florida president Bernie Machen. Meyer wasn't absent for long, though, as the Gators entered spring practice with Meyer at the helm and marched through summer workouts.

In hindsight, perhaps Meyer wishes he listened to those around him and taken some extended time away. When his football team, sans Tim Tebow for the first time in five years, embarked on an eventual 8-5 season, the losses clearly took their toll on a coach who didn't take time off.

When Meyer announced he was stepping down for good last December, concerns about his health became the focus of many stories and columns relating to his decision. Meyer deflected much of that and repeated his desire to spend more time with his family.

I don't mind saying I didn't buy any of that. Well, sure, of course he enjoyed spending time with his family. One daughter, Nicki, plays volleyball at Georgia Tech. Another, Gigi, is a setter on the volleyball team at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers. After missing out on so many of his kids' games and family gatherings over the years, he's certainly enjoyed every minute he's spent with his family, which also includes wife Shelley and son Nathan.

I just don't think that 'family' or 'health concerns' reflected the entirety of why he quit.

“I'm not going to let a job consume me," Meyer told CBSSports.com Monday. "I think it did (at Florida). I would have never done that at the end. I was so consumed about perfection. We created a monster. If I ever did get back, I would not let that control my life.”

Meyer said it himself: He is a perfectionist. The last team he coached at UF in 2010 was far from perfect. His program was far from pristine off the field, too, with 30 arrests during his six years at Florida. I hold Will Muschamp's feet to the fire in a story appearing in Tuesday's print edition, but the truth is that the future, for various reasons, wasn't bright in Gainesville.

Who would know that better than Meyer, who had his hands on everything related to his program?

Imagine if Meyer had stayed to coach the team Muschamp has coached this season. John Brantley still would have been the quarterback and an awkward fit in Meyer's offense. The offensive line still would be unremarkable. The receivers still would be a collective letdown. Chris Rainey still would have been the focal point of the offense with few playmakers around him.

Florida V2.0 under Muschamp is largely the same version as the one that preceded it.

Maybe Florida could have squeaked out another win somewhere under Meyer, but the Gators have deserved to lose each of their six games this year. Simply put, they were outclassed in each of those contests.

Meyer knew dark days were ahead. Meyer earned a reputation as a coach who invested 100 hours a week into his profession and emailed recruits from church. If it took that much work to finish 8-5, how much more would it take to challenge again for division, conference and national titles? He left Florida as the third highest-paid coach in college football, one year after signing a six-year, $24-million extension. His family's financial future was secure.

To me, those are the reasons Meyer quit. One subpar season, especially on a resume as sterling as Meyer's, is just a blip on the radar screen. Meyer didn't have to endure a second straight season that failed to meet expectations, potentially tarnishing his tenure at Florida. Instead, his golden reputation remained intact. His decision to quit, both personally and professionally, was the right one. For Urban Meyer.

The six-year contract he signed at Ohio State -- worth $26.4 million plus bonuses -- is proof of that.

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